[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/nn5VWsV.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/XRra6ku.png[/img]
[b][code]Miami Merchandise Mall[/code][/b][/center][hr][center][hider=Zhu - Cocaine Model][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThUtI7LB17Y[/youtube][/hider][/center][hr]

While Maya was attempting to enjoy her nice day without the [i]Coven[/i].

The Coven came to her like a wrecking ball.

In the form of Madison Brown roughly planting her hand on her table wearing a [url=https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0784/1125/products/cardibt-shirt_1024x.png?v=1597651194]particular shirt[/url] and black tight shorts on. In her free hand, she had a particular purple dress stuffed into her bag. She smiled.

"... What's wrong with you, girl?" Madison asked, chuckling. "You look like hot death."


[hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/y8f0UJw.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/H9epPjR.png[/img]
[b][code]The Doubletree by Hilton[/code][/b][/center][hr]

To say the least, Claudette was a little on edge.

For a large number of reasons... she was a bit skittish about meeting a shady black market organization. Especially at the behest of somebody who tried to use her tragedy for [i]views[/i]. Claudette [i]trusted[/i] Kimberly's judgment but she knew that she was painfully oblivious to the Coven and their antics. There were [i]so[/i] many things that could go wrong, especially if the Coven acts like the Coven. They weren't just a bull in a china shop, they were a [i]wrecking ball[/i]. There was that concern from Herik that resonated with Claudette, the response from Kimberly told Claudette that there really [i]wasn't[/i] any other option.

The woman was relaxing in her room - or, well, trying to relax. It was difficult to do so when everything was on the brink of going wrong. She wished that she could go meet them tonight but her little contact informed her that they would be available tomorrow night. In all honestness, Claudette was [i]long[/i] past the point of trying to constantly control the Coven and their destructive antics. Telling them to remain in their hotel rooms and not draw attention to themselves was a futile effort. So she was just going to let the Coven do what they do best; whatever they want, and pray to God that they can at least [i]pretend[/i] they had nothing to do with them.

Even if this doesn't go well and they have to go back to Tampa empty-handed... will that even be an option with Annabelle? Claudette didn't know, but she was going to try her damnest not to go home emptyhanded.

The balcony door opened and Claudette was reminded that she was sharing the room with Lyss ([i]thank the Heavens[/i]). Did she seem okay? Claudette had a hard time reading her, was that because she intentionally doesn't want to be read? Or was there a piece of the puzzle Claudette was missing? It was not something on her mind as Lyss asked a simple question.

[quote=Lyss][color=D3D3D3] “Hey, Claud. Sleep well? Do you think any of the girls would want to go to the beach?”[/color][/quote] 

"I think the girls are tired of the beach," Claudette shrugged. "We pretty much ended our meetings for months with it, but I think everyone is staying in the mall?"

She couldn't help but shrug again.

"Hopefully, they'll stick close to here, but I wouldn't mind going to the beach."

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[b][code]Miami Merchandise Mall.[/code][/b][hr][hider=Massive Attack - Angel (Instrumental)][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwHRBRn-WNI[/youtube][/hider][hr][/center]

She grabbed a book off the rack and opened it for a second before she put it away.

The texts here were so [i]dull[/i]. Just books and pages about people she didn't care about. Maybe expanding her horizons to the other subjects would be helpful. She was the [i]justification[/i] for all the evil in one world, and yet nothing said that was all she had to know. Maybe she could learn a great recipe or two. So, the woman drifted her way over to the cooking section and began glancing at some of the books over that way. 

However, she noticed somebody standing over her shoulder, and she was about to say [i]Hello[/i]. When she looked over her shoulder she caught a very familiar sight in her eyes. A [url=https://i.imgur.com/qoGRuB7.jpg]very tall Spanish man[/url], or black, or whatever, she barely saw color. She saw that he was cute... when he wasn't grandstanding. 

"... Johnny," Babylon looked over her shoulder with a coy smile as she put the book away. "What do I owe the occasion to."

Johnny leaned up against the book rack without a care about the books as he twirled around his [url=https://i.imgur.com/mp5GVQg.jpg]fancy walking cane[/url]. "... You're the only person in the world that claims she has people after her and yet still walks around in public... [i]Babylon[/i]."

"Those people after me are too stupid to track me out here," Babylon answered... in Ellie's voice. "Besides I can handle myself without Hemorrhagia's little whipping boy following me around."

Babylon shrugged, "So, kindly go about your day."

"Sorry sis," Johnny answered. "Hemorrhagia says that you are dumb as fuck... well, she ain't use those words but that's what she meant. And she doesn't want you to draw any attention to yourself by killing someone or fuckin' 'em."

"No more attention than you accosting me is going to draw," Babylon snickered as she looked around and saw some... idle glances sent her way. Johnny noticed them, too.

"Nice try, [i]bitch,[/i]" Johnny said with a toothy grin. "Draw attention to me, you draw attention to [i]yourself[/i]... and neither of us wants that."

"Why the hell do you even obey Hemorrhagia?" Babylon asked, "She'll drain you dry and then toss you aside. Like trash!"

There was a brief silence before Johnny answered.

"... Why the hell do [i]you[/i] listen to Bloody-Spooky-Bitch?" Johnny chuckled. "I know for a [i]fact[/i] somebody like you got nothing to gain from her little goons. Well, you ain't nothing to gain [i]as it stands[/i]."

Babylon smirked,

"Just what are you getting at, boy?"

"I can tell from your face and these little acts of telling Hemmy to go fuck herself," Johnny slung his cane over his shoulder. "You have a... hidden agenda, yeah?" He smirked.

"So do you."

"My hidden agenda is that I want to survive," Johnny narrowed his eyes, "I don't want to get my fuckin' soul sucked out, I don't want to end up washed up on the bay, either."

"But that's the only way this will go for you," Babylon answered.

"Correct," Johnny said, "Normally I'm against working with spooky bitches like yourself but..."

"... But," Babylon said, "Let's not get hasty here."

"We gotta play our cards," Johnny answered. "Maybe we should talk terms somewhere else well..."

He looked around.

"... Less fuckin' corny, if you know what I mean."

"Maybe we can take it into the hotel?" Babylon purred as she took his hand... only for him to wince away.

"Sorry, I don't fuck spooky."

Johnny said as he and his new partner began walking. 


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[b][code]The DENS Base of Operations in Tampa.[/code][/b][hr][/center]


The DENS agents were assembled in a room around an oval table... and they were all facing a massive flatscreen TV. Everyone wasn't in the best state ever since the loss of both of the Mayfields, but after their deaths, the director called for an emergency meeting. Meifeng herself wasn't exactly in the best of all moods afterward. She was sitting in her chair with her shoulders on the table, fingers interlocked. The leader of this faithful task force looked around at her other agents. Cindy had her hands on her lap as she faced the TV screen, Trevor was looking down with his shoulders down, Leon had his arms crossed and was also looking down, and Helena had one shoulder on the table as she was chewing on a pen. Anticipating the conference with the Director.

The TV screen activated as it showed the shadowy silhouette of their director... and it was impossible to make out his or her facial features. It was how they [i]usually[/i] went about their meetings with Director Alcott as she insisted that she keeps her identity secret. If somebody was spying on them, they won't know her identity.

"Why, hello, hello," The Director's voice was digitally deepened. "How is everybody doing?"

"Bad," Leon answered.

"I am sorry to hear that," The Director started. "I heard the news about the Mayfields... I will do my best to inform their families of their loss after this."

"I take full responsibility for their deaths," Meifeng said as she placed her hand on the table and stood up. "I made a bad call, I didn't...." She shook her head.

"What exactly... happened?" The Director asked.

The DENS agents looked in between each other before Trevor finally spoke up.

"Well, you see..." Trevor cleared his throat as Meifeng shot him a death glare. "We ran into the ghost of Annabelle's sister and she told us where Annabelle's lair was. So we came up with this big old trap to rig the place with C4 and when she came back we blew her to high hell. And in the confusion, we shot her up, netted her up, and [i]almost[/i] had her."

"... And?" The Director asked and Meifeng finished.

"... She screamed and called back her horde of monsters and they swarmed us. There were [i]too[/i] many of them, and we had to leave... the Mayfields were lost." She sighed.

The Director leaned forward and put their hands together in front of their face.

"This is not good, not good at all," The Director said. "You were [i]instructed[/i] not to engage Annabelle without Maximilian. At all."

"I know but-" Meifeng was about to come up with an excuse of some sort to justify just [i]why[/i] she did what she did. However, she knew that it would fall on deaf ears and the Director was probably not in the mood to hear them. She sighed as she realized that silence will speak for her.

"As of now, Agent Liao," The Director said, "Agent Jean-Pierre is now in charge of the operation."

"... Very well, Director," Meifeng sighed.

"I [i]might[/i] have a way to help Maximilian, but for now, standby," The Director reached forward and typed a few keys as she said, "Alcott out."

Meifeng loudly sighed again.

"... You know, Meifeng," Cindy said as she glanced over at her defeated leader, "Despite her orders, you're still the leader in my eyes."

"Yeah, boss-woman," Leon said as he put his hands behind his head.

"What do you suggest we do?"

Meifeng recollected something that Lyss said... The Coven was working on a way to stop Annabelle, but what was the question. She put a hand on her chin as she said.

"... We're going to visit the Coven."